1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to storage compartments for truck beds and methods of securing objects in truck bed. More particularly, the invention relates to systems for attaching and stowing storage compartments in truck beds.
2. Background of the Related Art
Light duty trucks have long been used to transport objects of various sizes from one place to another. The truck bed is easily accessible to placement of cargo and is sufficiently large to accommodate a large number of articles, even articles having odd or irregular shapes. However, movement of the truck can cause the article or cargo to shift, slide, tip over or fall out. These actions can cause damage to the truck (such as a scratched or dented truck bed), damage to the article, or road hazards.
There have been many devices designed to address these problems using tools, fasteners, or other devices. These devices assist the truck owner to safely transport articles in the pickup truck. These devices include toolboxes, tie down inserts, bed mats, tarps, anchor straps, bungie cords and the like. However, while solving certain of the problems described above, each of these accessories have limitations of their own.
For example, while truck toolboxes may be successfully used to prevent articles, such as small tools, from moving about the truck bed, they typically require the truck owner to permanently forfeit over 20,000 cubic inches of bed space. Furthermore, the size of the article to be contained in the toolbox is limited by the size of the access door as well as the internal dimensions of the box. Because these boxes are typically rigid, odd shaped objects may often need to be secured outside the box. Installation of the box requires tapping or drilling anchor bracket holes into the truck's supporting body parts, permanently altering the structure of the truck bed. Holes through the truck bed may be difficult to make without damaging other portions of the truck and any removal of protective coatings accelerates corrosion to the underlying metal. Additionally, the truck bed walls are typically made of sheet metal that is not designed to be a load-bearing member.
Tie down inserts are designed to provide anchors along the truck bed side walls to which loads can be secured. These inserts fit into the existing side wall structure of the truck bed and are most useful for securing oversized objects. However, tie downs alone do not provide protection of the cargo from environmental conditions, such as rain, ultraviolet rays, dust, dirt, wind, and the like. Typically, the tie downs can only be affixed to the side walls in pre-formed locations determined by the truck manufacturer. These tie downs could be placed in four or six symmetrical locations depending on the make and model of the truck. Frequently, these locations are not convenient or ideal for securing a particular object in the preferred transport location, typically the front and center of the truck bed.
Truck bed liners have become commonplace to protect the integrity of the truck bed from scratches, dents and other damage that typically decreases the life of the bed. Liners are available in a number of different forms, such as bed inserts, rubber mats, spray coatings and the like. The most common liners are bed inserts, typically made from a hard plastic or polymeric material, that are available as standard dealer options or as after-market accessories. While these liners have proven effective at protecting the truck bed, the smooth plastic surfaces do not prevent objects from sliding around during transport.
Therefore, there is a need for a storage compartment and system for use in truck beds that secures objects from sliding around the bed and protects the objects from damage during transport or inclement weather. There is also a need for a storage compartment that does not require invasive modification of the truck bed in order to install the compartment. It would be desirable if the compartment were collapsible in order to conserve cargo hauling capacity of the truck bed. It would also be desirable if the system provided tie downs for securing oversized objects in the truck bed.